We're All Cooped Up - So Let's Tidy!

We’re living in crazy times and honestly, I still can’t wrap my head around all of this. But I do know one thing for sure: I’ve been home all week and so have all of my friends and family and it has NOT been easy. YouTube is suddenly my homepage, I taught myself how to crochet, and my art supplies have been in active use. And needless to say, every nook and cranny in my home has gotten cleaned which gives me a sense of calm and control when I desperately need it.

Since we’re all locked up and searching for ways to stay busy and motivated, I present my Cooped Up Challenge! You can follow it live on my Instagram stories but if you’re too late for that, here are the challenges from the last 5 days. Feel free to do them in whatever order you want or focus on the ones that feel the most inspiring. We’re all hoping that this madness calms down soon but until it does, I’ll be challenging you daily and your home will be closer to pristine tidiness. So please, join in on the fun.

Day 1: Clean under your bed!

I’m willing to bet that you have lots and lots of dust bunnies hiding under your bed so today is the day you collect them and ship ‘em out! Grab some spritz (I use water + vinegar) and a rag or this handy-dandy OXO duster and get under there. If you store things under your bed, you’re in bonus luck! Today is the day that you look those things over and make sure they all deserve to stay. If not, say goodbye and don’t look back.

Day 2: Tidy up outside!

Spring is coming, I promise. Let’s manifest the good weather by preparing for it with a sun-soaked outdoor cleanup. Sweep your porch, rake those crunchy leaves, wipe down your windows, spruce up your grill, or pick up the trash on your sidewalk. Whatever it is, make sure you enjoy the fresh air (and exercise!) while you do so and let’s hope we get endless outdoor time soon.

Day 3: Clear out yo’ bathroom!

Those bathrooms of ours can surely get crusty and neglected if we don’t give them the attention they deserve. When it’s time to tackle, focus on purging the products that are old/gross or you don’t use, keeping your daily routine’s product-line accessible and easy to see, and maximizing the storage space for the rest. Here are some old tips and products recs to get you going.

Day 4: Organize Your Spices!

Let’s! Get! Spicy! I firmly believe that the best way to store spices is in bins with the tops labeled. No stadium seats, no double-decker Lazy Susans, and no gadget-y gadgets. So first measure the width and depth of your cabinet and choose the right bins. These in 8”x11.25” generally work but if your cabinets aren’t deep enough, try these. Slap labels onto the tops and you’re on the road to success. Just pull those bins out like a drawer for easy spice access and don’t worry, the ones you use the most will naturally migrate to the front.

Day 5: Undergarment Tidiness.

You wear your underwear and socks daily so you shouldn’t be neglecting to keep it all tidy. Today is the day that you say goodbye to single socks and tattered undies. NO EXCUSES! Make sure that the categories are being separated with drawer dividers or bins so you can easily see what’s what and not accidentally put a bra on your feet. Plus, this’ll help you see how low you’re running when trying to avoid laundry day.